NEWS

Border Closures are Affecting Small Border Towns

By Scarlett Minney

Border closures are negatively impacting border towns. In the rural towns located near Victoria
borders, people are often required to move between states regularly for work or school, etc. These
people are now unable to move between the states. These problems have been ongoing since the
coronavirus restrictions. The government in charge of border control need to be involved.

The Corona virus outbreaks mainly in Victoria, have caused the state borders to strictly close. The
aim of these closures is to stop the virus spreading to the other states and to contain the virus. The
closures may sound reasonable but there are significant negative impacts on some communities.
People living in towns close to the borders often need to move between states daily for work, school
or regular life. Some essential infrastructures
may be located on the other side of the border
such as churches or schools. These people are
now stuck on one side of the border and may
have had to choose between their home and
work. One lady, Dot Fox, lives in Victoria but
works in NSW. They were not included in the
initial 50km travel bubble. Her and her
daughter chose to stay on the other side of the
border and continue to go to work. She thought
the lockdown would only last a few weeks, so
she spent thousands on accommodation and
even had to sleep in her car. Many people
living on the borders have had to adapt to
similar lifestyles. Supplied by Dot
Fox
Many healthcare workers are also being affected. Many people need to move between Queensland
and NSW to work at healthcare facilities. These people are unable to desist working periodically as
their services are essential. Paramedics are heavily affected by the travel bans because they sometimes
need to go past the 50km bubble. Anyone travelling past the 50km border is required to quarantine for
14 days when they arrive home. This means that urgent care may not always be provided when it is
out of the 50km range.

Government are considering possible permits and policy changes to support these cases. Would
opening all borders be a viable solution to this problem?